South Marston

Overview

South Marston is a junction connection to 'Swindon Distribution Centre' (South Marston Euroterminal) between Highworth and Bourton.

Commissioning

It was planned to be commissioned on 7 and 14 February 2000, as described in GWS.15, but, due to 'construction difficulties' the work did not take place then.

As the point fittings had been installed (but not commissioned) in the 2000 work, controlled signals were needed to protect them. So UM.75 had been converted to controlled signal SN.81 and DM.73 had been converted to a controlled signal temporarily numbered SN.998, advertised by WON entry, shortly after the aborted 2000 work.

A second plan to commission the junction was planned for February 2002. As part of this 2002 scheme the points were brought into use.

The 2002 plan was broadly the same as the 2000 plan (apart from the signals and points described above).

A new signal was programmed for to the Goods Reception Line, SN.897, in rear of (and in addition to) the previously advertised SN.899. SN.897 is sited at the end of the Goods Reception, by the gates into the Euroterminal. It is back-to-back with a stop board for movements into the terminal. (The stop board is 44 SLUs (310 yards) from SN.899.) The stop board is fitted with a white light operated by the PiC in the terminal that authorises trains to proceed. The line rises towards the Euroterminal on a 1:250 gradient.

The new layout was planned to be brought into use on 11 and 18 January 2002.

and

but wasn't....

Interlocking

The first suggestion of there being an interlocking at South Marston was in the WON entry above when UM.75 and DM.73 were converted to SN.81 and SN.998 respectively.

Being a later addition than the other interlocking, a different format of controls was provided for the signalman, including separate alarms for earth faults and the intruder alarm on the relay room.

311 points, the crossover between the main lines is the only crossover on the Swindon Panel area to be fitted with split detection, enabling the signal on one line to be cleared even if detection is not available on the end on the 'other' line, provided the track circuit on the adjacent line is clear.

The following equipment belongs to South Marston Interlocking:

Controlled signals: SN.4, SN.604, SN.81, SN.899, SN.897, (SN.998, now removed).

Points: 311, 312.

Usage

The Euroterminal has not seen anywhere near the volume of rail traffic originally envisaged, there has never been any regular traffic and there can be many months or years between trains using the connection.